Nothing to Fear
by LokiLeysmith
Summary: Setsuna's fear of cockroaches has gotten out of hand, and so her family tries to help her through hypnosis. Meanwhile a terrible new foe arises from the ashes of an old battle. Setsuna's day is about to get worse...
1. Chapter 1

**Nothing to Fear.**

**Chapter One.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Sailor Moon characters.**

"_**We have nothing to fear, but fear itself." Franklin Delano Roosevelt **_

_Site of the former Mugen Gauken Academy (Infinity Academy), 0430hrs._

Observe, if you would, the simple cockroach.

Observe how it makes its way along the through the ruins of what used to be a place of learning. The cockroach itself doesn't know this of course all it wants is food and shelter.

It could care less that the shattered stones, twisted metal and broken glass it is currently foraging around were the site of an apocalyptic battle between good and evil. Its needs are far simpler compared to say, the beings who fought in that battle.

No, this night it has feasted well on a few scraps of refuse left in the ruins, and now it is seeking shelter from the coming storm.

Crawling into the wreckage, it seeks a warm, dry spot to rest. Sensing warmth, it crawls down into the depths of the ruined school until it reaches the source of the warmth.

It is a vast area that, were it human, it would call the area a laboratory. It is in fact a secondary laboratory that belonged to the former owner and principal of this school, one Professor Tomoe, now deceased. But, alas, the cockroach is not human, and has little grasp of concepts like this, a pity really.

If this cockroach knew what the various spilled chemicals it was currently walking through were it would be a trifle more cautious in approaching the greatest source of the warmth in the lab, a large open metal box with odd symbols on it. It didn't care all it wanted was shelter. Perhaps the broken eggs strewn all over the floor mixed with the chemicals, combined with the warmth, reminded it of the nest where it was born.

It noted that several of its fellows had come to this place seeking shelter as well. That was all right, plenty of room for everyone. They gathered around the box and began to settle for that day's rest. Outside, it began to rain heavily, while inside the cockroach and its brothers and sisters gathered around their new home. A home, which began to glow in the darkness…

_The residence of Michiru Kaioh, Haruka Tenoh, Setsuna Meioh, and Hotaru Tomoe, a few days later_.

"Cheer up Setsuna; she can't stay angry at you forever." Haruka said in a cheerful voice.

Setsuna didn't look like she was going to cheer up anytime soon. In fact she seemed to look very mortified and sad, even for her. She sat on the couch with her hands clenching and unclenching in her lap nervously as she stared at a spot on the floor in front of her. The only noise she made was a sad sniffling noise as she sat and fidgeted.

"Look, I told Michiru that killing you was out of the question. It's been two days, plenty of time for her to calm down. Once she gets back from talking to the contractor, I'm sure she'll be able to talk to you without screaming." Haruka tried to sound reassuring, but wasn't having much luck.

_Okay, time for the heavy artillery._ She thought. "Your turn Hime-chan." She said to her daughter who stood beside her with a worried expression on her face. Hotaru nodded and she quietly approached her mama.

"Setsuna-mama?" She asked gently. No answer.

"Setsuna-mama, we know what happened was an accident. You were tired and cranky and you just reacted. Well, overreacted, but it was kind of understandable under the circumstances. Michiru-mama has had a few days to calm down and think it over, and I know she still loves you despite everything. Haruka-papa and I still do." Hotaru smiled as she sat beside Setsuna on the couch and gave her a reassuring hug. Setsuna smiled a bit and hugged her back.

Haruka looked relieved. "That's the spirit. Now if we can just convince Michi to do the same, we'll be fine and everything will be back to normal around here."

"As normal as things get around here." Hotaru remarked with a chuckle. Setsuna laughed a bit at that comment.

Haruka grinned. "That's true." She heard the sound of a car pulling into the garage. "Michi's home." Everyone looked expectantly at the door for the arrival of the house's final resident.

"I'm home!" Michiru called as she walked in. She carried a small briefcase in one hand and a grocery bag in the other. She wore an impeccable blue business suit and skirt, and her hair was tied neatly back. Haruka smiled and went to greet her lover and help carry her bags. Hotaru went over as well. Setsuna remained on the couch, her expression hopeful.

"Hello Ruka, Hime-chan." Michiru said as her lover and daughter greeted her with warm hugs and kisses. Then she spotted Setsuna on the couch and her expression darkened a bit. "Setsuna." She said in a flat, emotionless voice. Setsuna went back to looking at the carpet.

"How did the meeting with the contractor go?" Haruka asked, eager to draw Michiru's attention back to the matter at hand.

"He'll be here tomorrow to inspect the damage, and make recommendations. Then work will start on Monday." Michiru replied.

"Did he buy the story we worked out when he saw the pictures?" Hotaru asked.

"Yes he did, I think. A small grease fire sounded plausible enough. I doubt that he would believe the truth anyway." Michiru paused and pinned Setsuna with a glare. "That my housemate blew a hole in my kitchen floor!" She began to get angry again.

Haruka sighed in exasperation. "Michi, love, we've been over this. It was an accident, let it go."

Michiru stared at her incredulously. "An accident! She blew a hole into the floor with a Dead Scream!" Her blood was starting to boil over.

Hotaru placed the briefcase she was holding for her mama on the floor and took on of her hands in hers. "Relax Michiru-mama; you know how Setsuna-mama gets when she sees a cockroach. She was tired and overreacted a bit. She did offer to pay for the damage."

Michiru stared at her. "She blasted a cockroach with a Dead Scream. On my kitchen floor." She growled. Setsuna didn't offer anything in her defense she just kept staring at the carpet.

Haruka placed one hand on her lover's shoulder while massaging her temple with the other as she recalled the events of two nights ago. Setsuna had come home late after a long day at the time gate. She was feeling really tired and hadn't bothered to de-transform as she went quietly into the kitchen. It was 0130 in the morning and everyone else was sound asleep.

She found the casserole dish in the fridge that Michiru had left for her; with a note saying how long to microwave it for. Setsuna smiled as she placed the dish in the microwave and turned it on. She then grabbed a glass and went back to the fridge for the milk. That's when she noticed the cockroach scurrying across the floor.

Setsuna let out a startled shriek and hit the cockroach with her Time Staff. Much to her chagrin, it was still alive. Her fear of the little vermin, combined with exhaustion and too little sleep overrode her common sense, and she proceeded to blast it with her attack.

"**DEAD SCREAM!" **She literally screamed her attack instead of whispering it. The end result was a loud explosion and a nearly 2' in diameter perfect circle blown into the tile.

Her housemates and daughter were woken by the noise and they scrambled downstairs with their henshin wands in hand, ready to transform and defend their home at a moments notice.

All three of them reached the kitchen at the same time and all stopped dead at the sight in front of them. A large smoking crater had been blasted into the center of the formerly immaculate kitchen floor. The smoke cleared a bit to reveal Setsuna standing there, still clad in her sailor fuku clutching her Time Staff and breathing rapidly. She looked up and focused on the faces of her shocked family. Both Haruka and Hotaru's eyes were as wide as saucers and their jaws were on the floor. Michiru on the other hand looked like she was going to go ballistic at any second.

"Did I get it?" Setsuna asked in between gasps. It took Hotaru and Haruka the better part of 20 minutes to separate the water Senshi from the time Senshi. Haruka ended up tying up her lover with duct tape and putting her back to bed, while Hotaru healed Setsuna's somewhat bruised throat before tucking her in for the night.

Since then, Michiru and Setsuna had spent most of the time avoiding one another. Haruka talked Michiru out of killing her, while Hotaru insisted that if she tried to kick Setsuna out of the house, she would have to kick her out as well. Michiru calmed down a bit, but there was still a lot of tension between them.

Any time Setsuna tried to say anything to her, Michiru would give her a look that started from 'blank disbelief' and ended with 'cold fury'. In between her expression went through some interesting changes. 'Surprised dissatisfaction' became 'stupefied indignation' followed quickly by 'bitter resentment', which was quickly replaced by 'burning thirst for vengeance' and on to 'cold fury'. Setsuna's expression went from 'sad' to 'very sad' at this moment and she would shuffle away quietly.

"Just let it go, love." Haruka said in a soothing tone as she gently kneaded the muscles in Michiru's shoulders.

"Everything will be all right Michiru-mama, you'll see." Hotaru smiled and embraced her. Michiru smiled and hugged her daughter, while Haruka massaged her shoulders. She closed her eyes and let her head fall forward a bit, her tension leaving her.

"Besides, weren't you saying that you wanted to redecorate the kitchen anyway?" Setsuna asked from the couch. She was watching her family with a hopeful expression.

Michiru's eyes flew open and she swiveled her head around to glower at Setsuna. In fact she moved her head so quickly that both Hotaru and Haruka could hear her neck crack. Both winced at the sound. Setsuna assumed her 'very sad' look and went back to looking at the carpet, a single tear slipping down her cheek.

The single tear finally did it. "Aw Sets, I'm sorry." Michiru said as she smiled sadly and walked over and sat beside the woman she loved like a sister. Gently, she put her arms around her friend's shoulders and drew in closer. "I'm sorry I got so angry at you. Please forgive me."

Setsuna turned a bit and hugged her back. "I forgive you Michi. And I'm sorry for blasting a hole in the floor."

"I know how you get when you see a cockroach. And you were tired. Just don't let it happen again, okay?" Michiru kissed her lovingly on the cheek.

"Okay, I won't." Setsuna replied, returning the kiss with one of her own.

"AW, THAT'S SO SWEET!" Both Haruka and Hotaru exclaimed doing passable impressions of Usagi as they joined the two friends on the couch. Soon the group hug turned into a playful pillow fight, after that they were lying strewn about the living room laughing.

"Setsuna, can I ask you something?" Michiru asked after everyone calmed down a bit. She sat in Haruka's lap on one end of the couch.

"Sure." Setsuna replied as she sat back on the couch holding Hotaru in her arms on the other end.

"Have you ever seen anyone about your fear of cockroaches?"

"You mean like a psychiatrist?"

"Yeah."

Setsuna pondered her reply before answering. "Um, Sigmund Freud?"

Haruka frowned a bit. "I think she meant someone more, well, recent."

Setsuna shrugged. "No." She admitted sheepishly.

"Don't worry Setsuna-mama; we'll help you overcome your fear just like we promised after that mishap at the zoo a few months ago." Hotaru stated firmly.

Setsuna smiled a bit more. "I remember." Setsuna, Michiru, and Hotaru had gone to the zoo for the birthday of one of Hotaru's closest friends from school. During the visit, the group had visited the Entomology area. There they found an exhibit with hundreds of cockroaches in a display case. Setsuna had promptly fainted dead away in front of Michiru, Hotaru and all her classmates. That time it was Hotaru who had gotten steamed at Setsuna. She forgave her mama after a while, and promised to help Setsuna in any way she could to help overcome her fear. Michiru and Haruka did the same.

"I remember. Thank you Hime-chan, all of you." Setsuna smiled warmly at her family and they held each other's hands in a show of support.

"You're welcome." Haruka and Michiru said together. Then Michiru stood and looked at her watch. "I think I'll start supper now."

"I'll help you Michiru-mama." Hotaru said as she stood up. Michiru smiled at her daughter in gratitude and they went into the kitchen together leaving Haruka and Setsuna together.

"Thank you again Ruka." Setsuna said as she stood up and clasped her friends' outstretched hands in hers.

"No problem Suna, that's what we're here for. I'm going to go tinker with my car for a bit while Michi and Taru are making dinner. Later." Haruka hugged her friend and went into the garage.

"Later." Setsuna's spirits were buoyed a bit now that her whole family had forgiven her. She sighed contentedly as she went into her room and turned on her computer while she waited for the call to come to dinner.

The next day…

"Michi? Are you home?" Haruka called as she entered the house. She had stepped out for a bit while Michiru talked to the contractor.

"I'm right here my love." Michiru replied as she stepped out of the kitchen. She spotted the shopping bag in Haruka's hand. "What's that?" She asked, pointing at the bag.

"I stopped at the bookstore and picked up a few things, including something I think might help Setsuna with her problem." Haruka replied as she placed the contents of the bag on the nearest table. She sorted through the car magazines and a new mystery novel by an author Hotaru liked until she found what she was looking for. She held up a large yellow and black soft covered book. "Tah-Dah!" She said with a triumphant look.

Michiru read the title and her face assumed a skeptical expression. "Hypnosis for Dummies?" She asked in a skeptical voice.

"Yeah! What do you think?" Haruka was beaming.

"Well, the title is apt." Michiru replied tartly.

"Ha-Ha funny." Haruka growled as she smacked Michiru lightly on the head with the book. Hotaru came bounding down the stairs at that moment.

"What's going on?" She asked.

"Your papa is having one of her odd ideas again." Michiru replied.

"I'm trying to help Setsuna-mama overcome her problem, and Michiru-mama thinks I'm nuts. What do you think?" Haruka showed Hotaru the book. The young girl's face took on the same skeptical expression as Michiru's.

"Well the title is apt." She remarked. Haruka glowered at her daughter.

"See, she agrees with me." Now Michiru looked triumphant.

Undaunted, Haruka tried to sway her family. "Look at it this way; it will be a lot cheaper then sending her to a shrink. What if he or she finds out that Sets is a Sailor Senshi? Or Sets could be committed even? Would either of you like that? I know I wouldn't."

Both Michiru and Hotaru realized that in her on strange way, Haruka had a point. "Ok, maybe you have a few valid points. We'll ask Setsuna and see what she thinks. If she agrees to try it, ok. If not, I'll talk to Yuriko Mizuno, Ami's Mom, and see if she could recommend a good therapist for Setsuna. Deal?" Michiru asked.

"Deal." Haruka agreed. "How did the visit with the contractor go?" She asked, switching subjects.

"He was nice, and he quoted us a decent price for the work." Michiru handed her the estimate. Haruka looked over it approvingly.

"Not a bad price. He said he'd start Monday?" Haruka asked.

"Yes." Michiru replied.

"That's great. Where's Sets by the way?" Haruka looked around.

"She went out for a walk. She said she'd be back by dinnertime." Michiru stated looking at her watch.

"Okay, I'll be in the living room reading my book until then. Oh yeah, I found this for you Hime-chan." Haruka smiled and passed her daughter the mystery novel she had bought. Hotaru's eyes lit up.

"Thank you Haruka-papa." Hotaru smiled warmly as she accepted the gift.

"You're welcome kiddo. Later then." She went into the living room, sat in a comfy armchair and commenced reading. Both Michiru and Hotaru looked at her and shook their heads.

"Do you think this is a good idea?" Michiru asked her daughter.

"I think Setsuna-mama should run away while she still can. And we should join her." Hotaru replied. Michiru nodded in agreement then went to make supper. Hotaru sighed and went upstairs with her new book. "I wonder if Canada's far enough." She muttered to her self.

_Site of the Mugen Gauken Academy, later that night._

The swarm of cockroaches had gathered around the box for warmth by now led by a siren call that only they could hear.

Thousands of them, from everywhere in the area had gathered there seeking warmth and comfort. A weird humming noise could be heard in the room.

A voice seemed to be saying _come my children. Come to me. Soon we will be together. Soon we shall be one. _And they came.

They came in one's and two's at first then they came in small groups, then large groups. Now a vast swarm engulfed the former laboratory. And still more came.

_Yes my children, yes! Join me! Join me and we shall claim this world that is ours by right. We shall cleanse the planet of the meat creatures that infest it, for we are legion!_

The weird humming rose in intensity and seemed to say one word with one voice: _Legion!_

TBC.


	2. Chapter 2

**Nothing to Fear.**

**Chapter Two.**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own any of the characters. **

"Hypnosis?" Setsuna stared at Haruka incredulously as if she'd gone barking mad.

"Yeah isn't it a great idea?" Haruka replied. She was grinning from ear to ear. Behind her Michiru and Hotaru shook their heads vigorously. Haruka was too busy basking in her own glory to notice.

"Hypnosis?" Setsuna repeated. To her this idea ranked with some of Haruka's dumber ideas. Not as bad as her 'let's take Pluto and Saturn's heart crystals and give them to Galaxia in a vain attempt to prevent our daughter from sacrificing herself', but it was close.

Haruka was oblivious to this of course. "Yeah, I was reading up on it in this book I bought, see?" She handed Setsuna the book in question, while looking back at her lover and daughter for support. For their part, Michiru and Hotaru tried to give her their most reassuring smiles while trying to project their thoughts into Setsuna's mind. _Run Setsuna! Run for your life while you still can!_

Setsuna took the proffered book and examined it critically. "Well the title is certainly apt." She remarked.

Haruka frowned. "Were you two coaching her?" She asked Michiru and Hotaru in an accusing voice.

"Who us?" They replied innocently. They sat there together with matching angelic smiles on their faces. You could even see the halos above their heads. Haruka grunted and turned back to Setsuna who was idly flipping through the book.

"So what do you think?" Haruka asked expectantly.

"I think you've finally and totally lost it." Setsuna replied bluntly.

Undeterred by her family calling her sanity into question, Haruka pressed her case. "Look which would you prefer, allowing your family to help you, or hoping that a total stranger won't try to put you into the nuthouse for telling him or her about being the Guardian of Time.

Setsuna was about to comment that she already lived in a nuthouse, but thought better of it. She had spent a bit of time in various mental hospitals over the centuries, either as a member of the staff, a visitor, or a patient, and despite the progress made in the area of mental health, she had no desire to go back to one anytime soon.

She looked past the crazy woman for the support of her friend and daughter. They had both magically produced signs reading 'See the shrink!' and 'Take door #2!' The signs magically disappeared again when Haruka turned to glare at them.

"Okay, let's say I agree to this. Do you promise not to make me do anything too embarrassing?" Setsuna asked. She still had the skeptical look.

"I promise." Haruka replied, looking happy. This being Haruka, Setsuna spun her around to make sure her fingers weren't crossed behind her back.

Setsuna sat down in a chair and thought about it for a few minutes, while Haruka watched her expectantly. Michiru and Hotaru still tried to coax her to run away. Finally Setsuna reached a decision.

"Okay, I'll give it a shot, but I have a few conditions." Setsuna said.

"Great! What are the conditions?" Haruka was even happier now that she had won. Hotaru and Michiru threw their hands in the air in defeat.

"First: If this doesn't work, I'll go see a psychiatrist, and you'll cover half the cost." Setsuna ticked off one finger.

"Done. Next?"

"Second: You won't plant a post-hypnotic suggestion that makes me run naked through the city streets or something like that." Setsuna ticked off a second finger.

"Damn, err, done. Next?"

"Third, and most importantly: If I find out that you have made me do something totally embarrassing, I will do something very unpleasant and horrible to you. Do you understand?" Setsuna ticked off a third finger.

"Understood." Haruka swallowed a bit. Setsuna didn't make idle threats that she couldn't back up. She recovered quickly and extended her hand. "We have a deal then?"

Setsuna took her hand and shook it once, sealing the Faustian bargain. "Deal."

Michiru leaned closer to Hotaru and whispered, "You call Usagi and the others and tell them to stand by in case of an emergency, and I'll call and see about plane tickets to Canada."

"Okay." Hotaru whispered back.

"I heard that you two." Haruka growled.

_Meanwhile, at the site of the former Infinity Academy._

The time had come.

The collective entity now known as Legion had been formed from the mass of thousands of cockroaches and now it was ready to begin its campaign to destroy the meat creatures that infested earth.

Legion would start with this so-called 'city' it was under. Millions of meat creatures infested it and polluted the Earth with their toxins and waste. They would be purged first then the collective would spread out and gather more of its brethren to the collective.

The meat creatures would resist of course, they always did. They would spray them with their toxins and attempt to kill them with their worthless 'guns', but Legion would prevail. They had the numbers. They had the will. They would win.

_We are ready my children. _Legion told its brethren. _The time of the meat creatures, or 'humans' is over. We are the rightful rulers of Earth. We are the chosen. We shall succeed. We shall conquer. WE WILL WIN!_

_WE WILL WIN! _The collective cried as one voice.

_And now my children, we leave this place, this place of our birth. We go now to take what is rightfully ours. We go to destroy the humans and claim our birthright. _With that final thought, Legion began its ascent to the surface. The collective divided it self to travel through the ruined ductwork and wiring until it reached the surface where it reformed again.

Legion stood in the early evening air taking it in. It was still raining a bit outside and fairly dark except for a few streetlights. _Do you feel it my children? Do you feel the poisons the meat creatures have contaminated the very air with? Shall we punish them for their transgressions? _Legion demanded.

And with a single voice they replied: _YES!_

Legion was pleased with itself then it paused, sensing movement. Two of the meat creatures were nearby. Legion smiled, they had found their first victims.

"I'm telling you, if there was anything to be found after the explosion, it was found already." The first scavenger whined plaintively to the second one.

"I beg to differ buddy. A guy I know found some primo junk last week and sold it for a pretty penny. The big difference this time is we got this baby." Scavenger # 2 patted a metal detector.

"This is still a bad idea. Nobody knows what destroyed the place." Scavenger # 1 eyed the surrounding wreckage warily.

"Would you prefer to go to the shelter, or beg for scraps on the street?" Scavenger # 2 countered.

"Well no, but…" Scavenger # 1 hummed and hawed a bit.

"Neither do I." Scavenger # 2 said with finality. He felt a sense of elation as he activated the metal detector. He found the device one day, and being good with electronics, he got it to work. He felt this would allow him to build up a new nest egg without having to work for it. Satisfied that the device worked, he began to pan around for salvage.

_You do not belong here. _A voice that sounded like the humming of dozens of insects said from the darkness. Scavenger # 1 stiffened in fear, while his companion concentrated on his search.

"What the hell was that?" Scavenger #1 demanded fearfully.

"Shut up. I'm busy." Scavenger # 2 growled back.

_You do not belong here. _The weird voice repeated.

"Look I'm telling you I heard something." Scavenger # 1 said. He was sweating profusely now as he grabbed his friends' arm.

Scavenger # 2 turned to snarl at his friend, but a sudden movement caught his attention. He thought it was another Scavenger encroaching on their territory.

"Hey asshole! Get lost, we were here first!" Scavenger # 2 shouted at what he thought was a man approaching them in the gloom. Then his angry words died in his throat as he saw the creature that approached him in the darkness.

_You do not belong here meat creatures. _Legion stated as they approached the terrified humans. At a distance the creature looked like a nearly 7-foot cockroach. But when it stepped into the light it was revealed as a moving, breathing mass of cockroaches.

"What are you?" Scavenger # 2 whispered in fear, dropping the metal detector and backing up until he huddled next to a wall. Beside him, his companion gibbered with fear unable to form a coherent word.

_We are Legion! We will cleanse the world of you meat creatures! Your kind will be destroyed! We are the dominant species! _With that declaration, Legion reached for the now screaming humans.

A wet tearing sound was heard over the screams, which abruptly ceased as soon as they began. Legion stepped back to admire their handiwork. Nothing remained of the meat creatures but bone. Two twisted skeletons were all that remained of two former human beings. Legion was satisfied.

_Well done my children, we are pleased. These were but the first, the first of many. _Legion turned and began to shuffle towards the rest of Tokyo and the unsuspecting inhabitants.

_And now, back to our heroes._

Haruka wondered what she was doing wrong.

She had followed the steps that were outlined in the book to the letter. Was the subject relaxed? Yes. Was he or she paying attention to your voice? Yes, although she had to make said subject stop laughing. Was the subject's attention focused on a slowly moving object, in this case the pendulum of their grandfather clock? Yes. So what was wrong?

Haruka flipped through the book in irritation as she went over the steps in her head. After nearly an hour of stops and starts, giggling from the subject, and unflattering comments from the peanut gallery, Haruka had finally achieved her desired result, but not on the intended subject.

"Someone ought to tell Hotaru she snores." Haruka remarked as she flipped through the book.

Michiru, who sat beside the soundly sleeping child, looked at her lover with a raised brow. "If you want to tell the Senshi of Death that she snores, be our guest. Just give the rest of us some warning so we can get out of the line of fire."

"Point taken." Haruka replied with a grimace. Then she looked at the section dealing with planting suggestions in the subjects' mind. "Maybe we can have a bit of fun with this." She remarked casually. WHACK! "Or I can wake her up, capital idea." Haruka added hastily, rubbing her sore head that her lover had just bounced a book off.

Setsuna sat there watching the scene with unconcealed amusement. "I told you so." She chortled. Haruka ground her teeth in frustration as she brought her daughter out of her trance.

"What happened?" Hotaru asked in a sleepy voice.

"You dozed off a bit Hime-chan. Maybe you should go to bed." Haruka suggested.

"What, and miss the chance to watch you make a fool out of yourself? Nah." Hotaru grinned broadly. Both Michiru and Setsuna laughed.

"Thank you ever so much for the vote of confidence, Hime-chan." Haruka muttered as she thought about trading her daughter in for a gerbil. She dodged a second book Michiru tossed at her head. Michiru had her 'don't even think about it Haruka Tenoh!' expression on her face.

"Okay Suna, let's try this one more time." You could say this much for Haruka, she was a very determined woman. She had Setsuna relax and focus her undivided attention on the swinging pendulum. She decided on a different approach this time.

"Now close your eyes and listen to the sound of my voice." Haruka began. "You are looking at the calm, blue sea. All is tranquil, all is peaceful." She had Setsuna relax herself one part of her body at a time, starting with her feet and working slowly until she reached her head. Finally, Setsuna was totally and completely asleep. Haruka was elated she had done it!

"I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes." Michiru remarked quietly in amazement.

"Well a brisk walk, combined with a good dinner helped I should think." Hotaru remarked, as she looked Setsuna over to see if she was faking it.

"I'm getting the hang of this." Haruka was grinning from ear to ear as she flipped to the next section of the book. This was going to work she could feel it in her bones.

"So now what happens?" Michiru asked.

"Now I plant a suggestion in her mind." Haruka replied as she found the pages she was looking for.

"You are going to help Setsuna-mama get over her fear of cockroaches aren't you?" Hotaru asked. "I mean you're not going to make her do something really silly like singing the theme from Pokemon whenever you say 'Pikachu', aren't you?"

"Now would I do a thing like that?" Haruka asked with a shocked expression on her face.

"Yes!" Michiru and Hotaru replied, glaring at her.

Haruka sighed. "Fine, fine. I'll just try to help her with her cockroach problem, sheesh." Haruka stated as she turned her attention back to her entranced friend. "I was going to make her sing a rap version of 'Moonlight Densetsu' anyway." She mumbled to herself. She felt another book bounce off her head. "Helping Setsuna with her bug problem, yes ma'am."

"Setsuna? Can you hear me?" Haruka said into Setsuna's ear.

"I can hear you." Setsuna replied in a sleepy voice.

"Good. Now, you are in your safe place, but there is a problem. A cockroach has come into your safe place. What will you do?"

A look of panic flashed over Setsuna's face. "I must run away from it!" Her voice was higher pitched, almost child like. Michiru and Hotaru started to move to intervene, but Haruka stopped them.

"No, no Setsuna, relax. Relax." Haruka calmed her down again. "The cockroach will not harm you. You have nothing to fear from it. You can control your fear."

"It will not harm me. I can control my fear." Setsuna repeated.

"You are in control. You will control your fear." Haruka stated firmly.

"I am in control. I will control my fear." Setsuna repeated, with equal determination.

"You have nothing to fear from cockroaches. You have the power, they do not."

"I have the power."

"You will control your fear. The fear will not control you. You will not fear cockroaches. They will fear you!" Haruka paused for a moment wondering about the last part, but continued. "You are a lean, mean, cockroach killing machine!"

"I am a lean, mean, cockroach killing machine!" Setsuna shouted her face contorted with anger.

"Please tell me she didn't just say what I think she said." Michiru whispered with her head buried in her hands.

"I'd like to but you get mad when I lie Michiru-mama." Hotaru whispered back with a look of shock and worry on her face.

"The cockroach has invaded your safe place, what will you do?" Haruka demanded.

Setsuna stood suddenly and the Time Staff appeared in her hands. "Just bring it, bitch!" She screamed and slammed the staff into the ground. She looked like she was preparing to do her Dead Scream attack.

"Make her stop!" Michiru shouted fearfully as she and Hotaru stood. She was afraid for her friend's safety, not to mention the likelihood of her home being destroyed.

"Okay! Okay! Setsuna, stop!" Haruka shouted. Amazingly Setsuna complied and stood as still as a statue. Haruka gently took the staff out of her hands and handed it to Michiru.

"I think that I had better bring her out of it now." Haruka said.

"I think you had better as well." Michiru growled, brandishing the Time Staff in a meaningful way. Hotaru folded her arms and glowered at her 'papa' as well. Haruka took the hint and sat Setsuna back down again and slowly brought her out of her trance.

"When I count to three and snap my fingers, you will awaken feeling totally refreshed. You will remember nothing except that you will no longer be afraid of cockroaches. One. Two. Three." Haruka snapped her fingers and Setsuna came awake.

"What happened? Did it work?" Setsuna asked as she looked around at her family.

"It worked, but we'll have to do this a few more times to reinforce the suggestion." Haruka stated. "But I think you are well on your way to being rid of your fear."

Setsuna grinned at the news. Then she frowned a bit. "You didn't make me do anything else did you?" She asked suspiciously.

"No, I didn't. Really." Haruka replied with a reassuring smile.

"Then why does Michi have my Time Staff?" Setsuna demanded as she pointed at Michiru, who blushed and handed back the staff to its rightful owner.

"Um, things almost got out of hand, but everything worked out. How do you feel?" Haruka asked.

"I feel great! Better than I have for a while. I think your idea might have worked. Thank you Haruka, all of you." Setsuna set her staff down and embraced Haruka. Michiru and Hotaru joined them in one big family group hug.

"Does this mean you're not afraid of cockroaches anymore Setsuna-mama?" Hotaru looked up at her mama with a hopeful expression.

Setsuna laughed and kissed her daughter on the cheek. "I think so, Hime-chan."

"That's wonderful Setsuna!" Michiru embraced her. "We'll have to put it to a test, but it's getting late, so we'll do it tomorrow, all right?"

"All right. Thank you again, all of you, good night." Setsuna kissed each of them good night and retired to her room.

"One of your silly ideas worked, I'm impressed." Michiru told her lover in admiration.

Haruka smiled. "Well I have another 'silly idea' I'd like to run by you if I may."

"What is it?" Michiru asked, intrigued.

Haruka grinned slyly and whispered into Michiru's ear. Her reply was an excited giggle. "Oooh, I like that idea!"

Hotaru rolled her eyes heavenward. "Do we have any Rolaids or something?" She asked in exasperation. Haruka and Michiru laughed a bit at their slightly nauseous daughter, before Haruka picked her off the floor and kissed her on the cheek. Hotaru laughed and returned the favor, and then she and Michiru did the same.

"Good night Haruka-papa, Michiru-mama." Hotaru bounded towards her room.

"Good night Hime-chan, sleep well." Michiru blew her a kiss before she and Haruka retired to their room for the night.

All of them slept peacefully blissfully unaware of the great evil that approached them. Setsuna's test would be greater than any of them could imagine.


	3. Chapter 3

**Nothing to Fear.**

**Chapter Three.**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own any of the Sailor Moon characters. **

Legion approached the area where they could sense the greatest concentration of meat creatures.

Along the way they had snacked on a few stray humans they had found, a few more homeless people, a police officer, and some woman who was out walking her dog. But now they sensed a large group of humans ahead of them, a veritable buffet. If Legion had any lips, or a tongue for that matter, they would have been licking them in anticipation.

_Do you sense them as well my children? A large group of meat creatures in one spot all ripe for the picking. Listen to the foul noise they make and tell me that they do not deserve death._ Legion said to its children.

And they replied with one voice. _Death, death to the humans, they must be purged from our planet. _Legion smiled at its children's eagerness.

_Come then, let us begin the purging. _Legion commanded. The entity began its slow, inexorable march towards the humans.

The Golden Dragon was rapidly becoming the Juuban districts' premier nightclub. It had only opened a month ago but owing to a well-timed series of radio and print ads, it was crowded every Friday and Saturday night, and this Saturday night was no exception. The club was packed and the line to get in, stretched down the block. Legion entered the line of meat creatures.

Legion came out of the darkness near the middle of the line and commenced its attack. At first the people in line assumed it was some jerk trying to butt in.

"Hey jackass! The line forms at the rear!" Several of them shouted in anger. Their shouts of anger soon became screams of terror, as they fully comprehended the entity called Legion. Many ran away, others fainted or were too terrified to move. Several became lunch.

_Yes you worthless meat creatures, flee from us! Flee from your destroyer! We are Legion. We will find you and destroy you all. We are the new masters. WE ARE LEGION!_

A group of 5 young women who were close to the front of the line had barely managed to escape both Legion and the stampede of fleeing humans. They gathered in an alley across the street to figure out what to do.

"Damn it! We were so close to getting in too." Minako pouted sullenly.

"Somehow I think if we don't stop that thing here and now, getting in to the place won't matter." Rei pointed out.

"Worry about that later! We need to transform and stop that thing!" Ami stated firmly.

"We had better call the others as well." Usagi added, grabbing her broach.

"I'm on it." Makoto said as she activated her communicator.

At the home of the Outer Senshi, four communicators started beeping simultaneously. As it was after midnight, the residents were either sound asleep, or engaged in, ahem, _other_ _activities. _Okay they were engaged in having hot monkey sex, happy? Anyway…

After a few moments a pale hand reached for the Tiffany lamp beside her bed and switched it on before grabbing the offending instrument that's beeping was growing more insistent.

"This had better be important." Hotaru growled irritably as she turned the device on with one hand and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes with the other.

"Sorry to wake you Hotaru, but there's a monster loose here." Makoto said.

"Oh hi Makoto. Where's 'here'?" Hotaru asked as she slipped out of bed and put her robe on.

"We're at the Golden Dragon nightclub near Ami's place. You know where that is?"

"Yeah I've seen it in the paper, and we passed it the last time we were at Ami's. I'll wake everyone up and we'll be there soon." Hotaru grabbed her Transformation Wand and headed for her door.

"Okay we'll see you soon. Just hurry please, little sister?" Makoto smiled at her.

"We will Makoto." Hotaru promised as she signed off. She decided to wake Setsuna first on the basis that she would rather deal with a cranky Time Guardian rather than an upset couple who had been rudely interrupted during their passionate lovemaking.

Hotaru opened Setsuna's door carefully. "Setsuna-mama?" She called out softly, yet urgently. No response. Thankfully her nightlight was on as Setsuna had fallen asleep reading one of the _Lord of the Rings _books. Hotaru thanked her lucky stars as trying to find her way around Setsuna's room in the dark was not fun. She went up to her mama's bedside and began to shake and prod her.

"Setsuna-mama? Wake up, there's an emergency." Hotaru called out.

"Mommy I don't want to go to school today." Setsuna mumbled sleepily as she turned over. Hotaru blew her bangs out of her eyes in annoyance. _Next time I'll just poke her with my glaive! _She vowed to herself as she pulled the blankets off Setsuna's sleeping (and pajama clad) form. Fuming, Hotaru sat beside her on her bed, pinched Setsuna's nostrils shut, and waited.

"GAH! What the? Hotaru! What are you doing?" Setsuna sputtered as she woke up.

"Makoto called. There's a monster loose at that nightclub near Ami's place. They need our help." Hotaru replied urgently.

"Why didn't you say so?" Setsuna scrambled to her feet and grabbed her wand.

"I tried to." Hotaru growled after counting backwards from 10. Setsuna didn't hear her as she had already gotten out of her room and headed towards Michiru and Haruka's room.

"SETSUNA!" The happy couple shouted unhappily as Setsuna burst in on them.

"Makoto called and told Hotaru there was an emergency near Ami's place." Setsuna replied as she stood there arms folded and foot tapping impatiently.

"What! Why didn't she wake us?" They called out. There was a mad shuffle for discarded clothes and Transformation Wands.

"Why me God?" Hotaru muttered as she banged her head against the wall. "I'll be in the car! No rush!" She added as she bounded down the stairs and headed for the garage, transforming on the way. She hopped into the back of Haruka's car, buckled up, and waited for her parents.

Soon the four of them were in the car, in their Sailor fuku, and racing for the scene of the attack. Haruka had closed the canopy over their heads and the tinted windows were closed so no one could see them as they drove. Michiru was trying to call the others back. Usagi finally answered.

"What's going on?" Michiru demanded.

"A creature calling itself Legion showed up outside the Golden Dragon and started killing people." Usagi stated grimly. Behind her the sounds of battle could be heard.

"How many people?" Haruka asked.

"We're not sure at least 5, maybe more. We managed to draw it away from the crowd outside the club and make sure they all got clear, but there are still a lot of people trapped inside the club. " Ami said, then she asked, "Is Setsuna with you?"

"Yes I'm here. Why?" Setsuna asked.

"Because this creature appears to be formed out of thousands of cockroaches, and given your, ah, condition…" Ami stammered. All of the Senshi were aware of Setsuna's fear of cockroaches and each of them had witnessed her reactions firsthand. Her family turned to her with worry written on their faces.

"Are you going to be okay Setsuna-mama?" Hotaru asked.

"We can always turn around and drop you off at home if you want to sit this one out. We'll all understand." Haruka said softly in concern.

"Don't worry about me. I'm a lean, mean cockroach killing machine!" Setsuna announced with a look of determination. Her family sweat dropped.

"What did she say?" Usagi asked.

"Nothing, nothing. Haruka just had the radio on that's all. We're almost there, hang on." Michiru replied swiftly.

"Hurry, please!" Usagi pleaded as something exploded behind her and the link was broken.

"Usagi? Usagi! Shit!" Haruka cursed in frustration as she floored the accelerator. They careened around the final corner and saw the situation firsthand.

The other Senshi were spread out around what appeared to be a 10-foot high cockroach. A closer inspection showed that Mercury's analysis was correct and that the creature was indeed formed from tens of thousands of cockroaches. They also saw several bleached skeletons lying on the sidewalk in front of the club under the streetlights, and they all had to fight to keep from throwing up.

More disturbingly, it appeared that a lot of the Senshi's attacks were having little effect on the composite entity known as Legion. Venus's Love Me Chain would wrap around it then pass through like it was wrapped around air. Jupiter's lightning did a fair amount of damage, but it reformed quickly as more cockroaches joined it. Mars and Mercury's attacks were doing a fair amount of damage, but with its ability to reform its mass, the damage was inconsequential.

Sailor Moon rushed up to the four of them as soon as they parked in a secluded spot and ran out. "I'm so glad to see you!" Moon exclaimed. "Mercury has an idea on how to destroy the thing, but she need's Neptune's help."

"That's what we're here for." Neptune assured her as she moved to join Mercury.

"Saturn, we'll need you to put up your Silence Wall in front of the entrance of the nightclub." Moon told the youngest Senshi.

"You got it." Saturn gave her a reassuring smile and a 'V for Victory' sign as she ran to her assigned spot. Venus greeted her warmly as she arrived. Saturn spoke her words and a barrier appeared between her and Legion, effectively blocking access to the club.

_This barrier will not stop us! _Legion roared. _You only delay the inevitable._

"What's Mercury's plan?" Uranus asked.

"She wants to combine her attack with Neptune's and freeze that thing solid. Hopefully that'll buy her some time to analyze that thing and find its weak point." Moon stated.

"Then we gang up and blast it." Uranus finished. She smiled and drew her Space Sword. Then she noticed Pluto running at the creature. "Pluto wait!" She shouted.

"Okay let's go! You and me! Woman to bug! Bring it on baby!" Pluto shouted as she charged Legion with a manic gleam in her eyes.

"What the hell are you doing?" Mars screamed at Pluto as she charged.

"Is she nuts?" Jupiter demanded.

"No, just hypnotized." Uranus shouted back.

"WHAT!" The Inners exclaimed in unison.

"We'll explain later. Let's just help her, okay?" Neptune shouted.

"Dead Scream!" Pluto shouted as she launched a sphere of energy at Legion. The ball exploded with the equivalent power of several hand grenades, to little effect as Legion reformed its mass instantly.

_Your attacks are useless to us. Now feel the power that is Legion! _Legion spread its arms and a swarm of cockroaches flew straight at Pluto, completely engulfing her. Pluto screamed.

"Setsuna no!" Moon screamed.

"Mama!" Saturn shrieked in horror.

"No, please no!" Uranus cried. _It's all my fault! _She cried to herself. Tears of helpless anger and frustration streamed down her cheeks as she watched her best friend being smothered by the mass of cockroaches. .

"You won't have her!" Neptune roared. "Deep Submerge!" A wall of water engulfed the now fully covered Pluto washing her down the street. Amazingly the majority of the cockroaches were washed away to reveal that Pluto was still alive! Her costume was shredded and she was soaked and nearly naked, but she was alive. She screamed and swatted the rest of the cockroaches off her.

_You will die for defying us! _Legion shouted angrily.

"No, you will die for harming our friend and killing those people!" Uranus vowed. "Space Sword Blaster!" She screamed and blasted Legion as it tried to reform itself. Mars, Jupiter, and Venus attacked as well and more of its mass was reduced.

"Mercury, Neptune now!" Moon roared.

"Deep Submerge!" Neptune shouted and nailed Legion with a wall of water.

"Shabon Spray Freezing!" Mercury shouted and the wall and Legion were frozen into a solid mass. Legion was literally frozen in their tracks so Mercury had time to toggle her visor and start her analysis. Cracks were already appearing on the creatures' frozen mass so she had little time.

"Setsuna-mama!" Saturn cried as she dropped her Silence Wall and rushed to her mother's side. Uranus and Neptune joined her and they helped their shaken friend to her feet.

"Are you all right?" Neptune asked in concern.

Pluto allowed herself to be supported by her family as Saturn began healing her wounds. Pluto sneezed and then smiled at the three of them. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. You're all right, we're here." Neptune said.

"I'm sorry. This is all my fault for hypnotizing you. Forgive me." Uranus couldn't bring herself to look into Pluto's eyes.

Pluto looked at her for a moment, then leaned closer and kissed her on the cheek. "I forgive you Haruka." She said simply. Haruka looked at her and smiled in relief. Setsuna then kissed Michiru and Hotaru on the cheek and they all stood there and held each other.

"I hate to interrupt but I think Legion's about to bust loose!" Jupiter cried urgently. The Outers turned their attention back to the creature and saw that it was indeed breaking free. The thick layer of ice that covered the creature was cracked and buckling.

"Mercury!" Sailor Moon cried.

"Almost got it, there!" Her visor pinpointed Legion's central consciousness. "Everybody, simultaneous attack, center mass!"

"Right!" The Senshi cried and moved into striking position.

"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"

"Mars Flame Sniper!"

"Jupiter Oak Evolution!"

"Venus Love and Beauty Shock!"

"Dead Scream!"

"Space Sword Blaster!"

"Submarine Reflection!"

"Silence Glaive Surprise!"

"Starlight Honeymoon Therapy Kiss!"

The very heavens trembled as the energy wave rushed at Legion. The entity screamed as it was engulfed.

_This cannot be! We are Legion! We are Legion! We are…_ The screams faded as Legion was reduced to a fine ash that blew away in the evening breeze. Victory was theirs.

Pandemonium ensued as the Senshi loudly congratulated each other for their victory. The celebration was cut short as the people trapped in the nightclub realized that the battle was over and rushed out en masse to thank their saviors. That, combined with the approaching sirens and the need to treat their own sick and wounded, caused the Senshi to flee the scene in a hurry. They managed to reach Haruka's car, still parked safely a few blocks away, and change back to their normal forms.

"Man, I never want to go through anything like that again." Minako exclaimed as she sat down heavily on the ground.

"You and me both sister." Rei said as she sat beside her. Makoto and Ami slumped down beside them and nodded in agreement.

"Are you going to be okay Setsuna?" Usagi asked in concern. Haruka had wrapped her in a blanket she had in the trunk and placed her in the back seat. She was wet and miserable, but she still managed to smile at her friends and family.

"I'll be all right Usagi, thank you. All of you." Setsuna replied. Usagi smiled in relief, as did the others.

"What was that you said about hypnotizing Setsuna earlier?" Makoto asked Haruka. Haruka flushed a bit and explained what she did and why with Hotaru and Michiru filling in a few details. The others, especially Setsuna's, eyes grew wide at their story.

"I said all that?" Setsuna asked incredulously as the others laughed.

"Yeah, you did." Michiru replied. She was laughing so hard now that she had to hold onto Haruka for support.

"You sounded like one of those lady wrestlers from the WWE!" Haruka added as she wiped tears from her eyes.

"And you hate watching wrestling!" Hotaru put in the punch line. She howled with laughter as she held onto Setsuna. Setsuna stared at all of them like they were crazy until she too started laughing. They all laughed until their sides hurt and they couldn't laugh any more.

Setsuna sat there giggling in the back seat of the car as she hugged her daughter closer to her. Finally Hotaru looked up at her and smiled. "I'm glad you're all right Setsuna-mama."

"So am I Hime-chan. So am I." She said then she looked at the rest of her family. "Let's go home."

Haruka and Michiru smiled back and got into the car. Everyone said their farewells and went to their respective homes.

_Epilogue, two days later at the Tenoh/Kaioh/Meioh/Tomoe residence._

"Ah-choo!" Setsuna sneezed again for the thousandth time in the last hour by her estimate. If there was one thing she hated more than cockroaches, it was being sick. She sat on the couch in the living room in her sweater and sweat pants feeling miserable.

The contractors had come and gone already, and Michiru could hardly wait to see what her brand new kitchen floor was going to look like. They would be done in a few days, so she was forced to make stuff with the microwave, which was set up in the dining room.

"Here Setsuna. I made you some chicken noodle soup." Michiru smiled and set a tray with a steaming bowl of soup along with a glass of milk and some toast in front of Setsuna.

"Thank you Michi." Setsuna replied with heartfelt thanks. Michiru nodded and sat down beside her. Haruka and Hotaru came in from the garage at this moment. They had spent the day at the park among other places so they could keep out of the contractor's way. Michiru had stayed to keep an eye on both the contractors and Setsuna.

"How's our patient?" Haruka asked.

"I'm feeling better now, thank you." Setsuna replied with a smile.

"That's good." Haruka looked relieved. After a good night's rest she had managed to remove the post-hypnotic suggestion from Setsuna and then she put the book away. She wanted to burn it but Setsuna stopped her on the basis that she felt it was wrong to burn books for any reason, and that she wanted to keep the book around as a reminder.

"Call it a lesson in humility if you will." She said. Haruka agreed and placed the book on the shelf.

"So, how is the kitchen coming?" Hotaru asked.

"It's coming along. It should be finished in a few days." Michiru replied. "In the mean time, what say we order a pizza? I didn't feel like cooking tonight anyway."

The others agreed and Haruka reached for the phonebook. As she did, something came crawling across the floor.

"Oh great, another cockroach." She growled. She moved to hit it with the phone book when Setsuna grabbed it out of her hands and proceeded to smash it. Then she scooped up the remains and tossed them out the window before sitting back down and going back to her soup.

Her family stood there shocked at what they had just witnessed. "Ah Setsuna?" Michiru asked tentatively.

"Yes?" She replied.

"Are you all right?" Haruka asked.

"Of course I am. Why shouldn't I be?"

"You mean that cockroach didn't affect you in any way?" Hotaru asked.

"Why should it? It was only a cockroach after all." Setsuna replied as she took a sip of milk.

Her family whooped with joy, it seemed as though Setsuna's fear of cockroaches had been cured after all! Setsuna set the tray aside as Hotaru sat in her lap while Haruka and Michiru sat on either side of her and all three embraced her. Time would tell, but all of them were certain that her fear was a thing of the past.

The End.

Alternative Ending.

"In the mean time, what say we order a pizza? I really didn't feel like cooking tonight anyway." Michiru said.

The others agreed and Haruka reached for the phone book. As she did, something went crawling across the floor.

"Oh great. Another cockroach." She moved to hit it with the phonebook when…

"AAAIIIEEE!" Setsuna screamed and the tray hit the floor. Setsuna's eyes rolled up in her head and she collapsed in a dead faint. Haruka smashed the cockroach with the phone book.

"How is she?" Haruka asked as she came back with the broom and dustpan. Michiru and Hotaru looked over Setsuna.

"She's fine. She'll just wake up later feeling silly like she always does." Michiru replied as she shook her head sadly.

"Well, at least everything around here is back to normal." Hotaru remarked with a sigh.

The End.

AN: I honestly couldn't decide which ending I liked better so I wrote them both. Silly thing really.


End file.
